


A Good Winter

by axolotlnerd-campcamp (axolotlNerd)



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Big Bang Challenge, Dadvid Big Bang, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Not Max//vid, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 17:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14477295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axolotlNerd/pseuds/axolotlnerd-campcamp
Summary: Max thought he understood everything about his life until summer. When Max returns home after camp, it seems like everything has changed, and as he begins to doubt his perception of life, he wonders - does someone actually care after all?





	A Good Winter

**Author's Note:**

> A big thanks to @moosensweaters on Tumblr for making the art for this fic, and also to @perihelion-princess for beta-ing it for me. You're all amazing!!!

You can’t avoid the truth. Max knew this, and knew it well. He had seen it time and time again, people who try to avoid it and it comes crashing down. He swore he would never be that person.

But things change. Truth isn’t always something you deny, but something that comes to you suddenly. It can sink in like the cold of the snow outside your window, or come as suddenly as the storm that brought it. Like a flood, it came trickling in through a crack in his shut door, and Max knew it was there and tried to hold it back.

You can’t avoid the truth. It will break down every wall you build around yourself, leaving you with just an empty door frame and a path to God knows where. Every form it comes in, it destroys, and Max had thought he had learned that.

He took all the truth he had and left it in an old room, called his but not belonging to him. He left the room and never looked back, the New York City air warm on his face. This time, he swore, he would make his own truth. This time, he wouldn’t let it destroy anything. This time, he would find peace.

 

Payphones are a rarity, and finding one in the dark of night at some bus station in New York City felt ethereal. Max pulled two quarters from the heavy backpack on his shoulders, punched in the phone number he had written down on sticky note in his hand, and just hoped to hear the click of someone picking up.

_ Click. _

“Hello?” David didn’t get calls from unknown numbers often, so he was curious. 

“David?” Max’s voice sounded used and tired, and the man on the end of the line jumped at the sound of the kid’s voice.

“Max? Did something happen? How did you get my number?” Max had expected to hear anger from David, but he sounded curious and worried.

Max leaned against the wall behind him and looked around. He felt so out of place here — the bright lights made his eyes ache, and the adults looked at him oddly. Not without reason. “It was on the camp’s website.”

“Oh. Okay.” David thought for a moment, listening to the sound of silence hissing through the receiver. It was dark in his room, nothing but the light of the laptop in his room to offer light. On the phone he could hear the sound of people in the background, and he knew wherever Max was, it wasn’t a place he should be.

“What’s your address?” Max asked apprehensively, and David felt his heart clench. He sounded so off — it had only been a week since camp had ended, and still David could feel the resistance in the kid’s voice.

It was quiet for another long moment. “Max, do you need me to pick you up from somewhere?”

“Yes.”

 

Thirty minutes passed while Max just sat on a bench outside the bus station and thought. He had no idea what to say, what to  _ do _ ; his thoughts rushed through his head, and he started to panic. What would CPS do when they found out? What about David? Why would he intrude on his life like this?

He cursed to himself, trying to think of anything else. But David was a busy person, and why would he make this his job? He was an adult, he had work and bills and college to worry about,  _ a troubled ten-year old should not be on his list, _ Max told himself. Every time he stopped concentrating on the concrete sidewalk beneath his feet, thoughts would come rushing in, and the guilt tore itself through his stomach and into his chest where he almost choked on it.

It  _ had _ to be the guilt he choked on, because he wouldn’t let it be the tears.

He had almost thought to stop listening for David. “Max?” He called out, closing the door to his car quickly at seeing the kid sitting and staring at the ground.

Max’s head shot up, tear filled eyes widening at the sound of David’s voice. He jumped out of his seat, not hesitating to run toward his camp counselor. David knelt down and caught Max as he leapt into his embrace, and in return Max shoved his face into David’s shoulder, letting the fabric of his shirt take away his tears. A small sob escaped him, and he held his breath expecting  _ something, _ but he wasn’t quite sure what.

David did nothing but let the kid clutch onto his shirt, releasing a shaky breath of his own. He had panicked on the way here, every worst-case-scenario flashing through his head.

David pulled away carefully, checking over the short kid on front of him. “Are you hurt? Did something happen?”

Max looked dejected, and rubbed his puffy eyes with the heel of his hand. “No, I’m fine.” His legs ached, and his shoulders felt heavy with the weight of his backpack, but he didn’t want to make David worry more than he already had. He felt guilty enough as it was.

“Are you sure?” After a small nod from Max that David didn’t quite believe, he spoke again. “Let’s get you out of the cold. In the morning, we’ll talk a bit and make a plan, okay?” It wasn’t cold at all, but Max was too tired to argue. He nodded once again, putting his hands into his hoodie pockets. He took a deep breath and held it for a minute before sighing, almost looking like his usual self again. 

Max let himself into the car, jumping into the passenger’s seat. David was close behind, thankful that the engine turned over the first time he tried. 

The ride was quiet, neither of the people in the old station wagon wanting to turn on the radio. Max was turned away from the redhead beside him, looking out the window at the passing scenery.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered, so quietly he thought David didn’t hear.

But he did, and he had no clue what Max was sorry for. “Don’t be.” He said, letting the quiet take over once again.

 

Max didn’t remember falling asleep, but felt the effects of it as he woke up in the morning sunlight, drowsy and squinting at the light in his eyes.

The room wasn’t familiar, but the memories of last night were vivid in his mind. He still felt somber and maybe a little scared, but he forced himself to relax as he got out of bed. He hadn’t even taken his hoodie off, and now he felt like he was overheating in the late summer air. As Max got up, he noticed his backpack on the ground at the foot of the bed, slouched in the sunlight that leaked into the room. The air around him felt light and clear, and it calmed his anxious mind.

He walked out of the room quietly, looking around. The apartment had white walls spotted with different decorations — a clock, a mirror with hooks for jackets, pictures of wildlife that Max assumed David took himself. The birds and deer that the pictures showed were skittish, but not at all rare in the area.

Max peeked around the corner, seeing a living room with sparse furniture. There was an uncomfortable looking recliner, sat next to an old and worn-in couch that faced a powered down flat-screen on a small table. A small coffee table sat in front of the couch, stained with rings of water from warm mugs that have come and gone since the last time it was wiped down. David leaned on the arm of the couch, a small red book in his hands with large white words that read, 

 

“BARBARA KINGSOLVER — THE BEAN TREES”. 

 

Max considered saying nothing. If he was quiet enough, maybe he could sneak out again, leave before he caused any real trouble. But after a minute of debating, he spoke. 

“Morning.” 

David looked up from his book and smiled. “Good morning! I’m glad you’re up, I was just thinking about making breakfast. Anything you want? I have stuff for pancakes, or bacon and eggs if you want.”

He acted like it was so normal. He wasn’t mad, and he had that same smile on his face. Instead of being the busy camp counselor Max knew him as, David was a normal and optimistic person reading in his living room in the morning, talking about what to have for breakfast.

“I’m okay with just toast or something. I’m not that hungry.” Max moved with quiet steps, making his way to the other side of the couch David sat on. He simply stared at the coffee table, trying to find a way to look busy or at least thoughtful. He felt David move more than he saw him, leaving his book open and face down on the table.

The house was still, but a little more alive — the sound of David shuffling around the kitchen, spreading butter on a piece of toast, made the house seem a little more animated.

After a few short minutes, David was back with two plates of toast in his hands. “What do you want to drink? I’ve got orange juice, water, and tea. We can go grocery shopping soon, if you want.”

“Juice is fine.” Max said simply, and reached for a piece of toast. David left and returned quickly with two cups of juice for each of them. 

David sat back down in his spot on the couch. “If you want to talk about anything, let me know.”

And that was it. No pressure, no pushing for answers. He just picked up his book and started where he left off, letting the sound of life in his tiny neighborhood start up.

Max looked around the room, the realization slowly dawning on him that his camp counselor had a life outside of the camp. He had never really pictured it before; David was so passionate about Camp Campbell, it was hard to imagine him doing anything else. He had pictures of him and his family hung up on the wall behind the T.V., a collage of people that were like him, people that were not like him. 

“What’s your family like?” Max asked, quietly. David turned to look at him, eyes scanning over the pictures. 

“Oh, they’re great!” He said, smiling. “I’ve got two older sisters, and a  _ lot _ of cousins and extended family that I don’t know well. My oldest sister, Amelia, went traveling as soon as she got out of high school, and just never stopped. She has a big dog named Danny, and he’s the sweetest thing. You can see us there-” He pointed to a picture of him and a woman a bit shorter than him, with dark brown curls and a leather jacket. “Mom said she looks more like Dad than her.”

Max stared at the picture as he continued talking about his family.

“And then there’s Taylor. She actually reminds me of Gwen a bit, she’s always a little grumpy and tired. She decided to stay with Mom and keep her company, but she recently started working online classes for a business degree. She stands out a bit, she’s a lot shorter than the rest of us.” At that, Max could point her out easily, a tiny girl with rosy skin and a russet-colored pixie cut.

“What do you do outside of camp?” Max asked, taking a bite of his toast.

“I got a degree in teaching. I have a music class for elementary school kids in the mornings, and then I go to a local tech school to have classes for the high schoolers there in the afternoon.”

_ That makes a lot of sense for David,  _ Max thought.

“And Mom is great. Our dad left just after I was born, so she had to work really hard to keep our heads above water. But she did it, and ended up starting her own business when I got into middle school. Taylor’s going to be taking it over, I think. It’s a whale watch, up where I grew up.”

Max looked along the pictures, and found David’s mom easy. She was tall and thin, like him, with long and soft looking red hair with flashes of silver.

“They look nice.” Max said simply. He kept looking at all the different photos, pictures of David with his sisters and mom, and more people he assumed were extended family, cousins and aunts and uncles. “Where’s Amelia now?”

“Somewhere in Arizona, I think. Last I heard from her, she was staying at a camp that had a lot of other travelers there.” David looked at the pictures with a smile on his face, fond and thoughtful. “She has so many stories.”

“You do too, with all the crazy shit that happens at camp. You got punched by Buzz Aldrin, that’s gotta count for something.” Max smiled mischievously. David laughed happily, but said nothing.

It was quiet as the two people ate their breakfast, listening to kids outside play in the last few days of summer there were left. It had been a week since camp ended, and it wasn’t long until school was back in session, and Max dreaded it. 

“Max?” David asked, sounding careful with his words. There was a twist in the kid’s stomach, and he hummed in response. “Why did you leave?”

He had to think about this. Not because he wanted to avoid the truth, and not because something bad happened. He wasn’t even sure why he felt the need to go. It was a feeling more than anything, something he couldn’t put into words or even express right, but it was there.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want. I just want to know what I need to do to help you.”

Max didn’t have the words to explain what the change was between home and camp, but he knew that there was something very different about the two places. “I’ve been in foster homes for the past few years. Bounced around for a while, but this one kept me around. Not really, though. They just like feeling like they care for something, but they don’t.”

He didn’t say anything more, but he knew that after camp, after seeing the way David had really cared for something, he knew that those people didn’t. All of a sudden, he had gotten tired of being a token, a reason for people to say his ‘parents’ were such great people for taking in a troubled foster kid. 

“You don’t have to go back if you don’t want to. I’ll make this work, Max. I promise.”

Max sighed softly, and his body loosened. He took another bite of his toast, letting the silence sink in for a moment.

“Thank you.”

 

The days after were a blur of business with CPS, shopping, and David trying to convince Max to get things he wanted and not just needed. “You could get a special blanket if you wanted, since Mom is going to be sending down that twin bed! Or you could get something to decorate your room!”

David had an extra room in his apartment, thankfully. He had been planning on it being a storage space, but he never really needed anything to be stored. Now, he could make it into a bedroom for Max, and he was clearly more excited for it than the kid was.

Max didn’t want anything. He picked out a book, and that was it. David kept trying and trying to convince him to get more things for himself, but Max was adamant about not needing anything. 

CPS was, if anything, helpful about the situation. “We like the kids to be with people they know.” The man on the phone clearly didn’t like his job, but was glad to have it. “I’ll do my best to help you guys out.” He did, getting someone to come by the apartment to explain that they would bend the rules a bit to let David become a foster parent.

David called Gwen, too. She was surprised, but still offered to help. “I can’t offer much, but if I’m off work I can watch him,” she offered. “David, are you sure you can do this? Are you both going to be okay?”

David laughed a small bit. “Me? You know I’ll be fine. Max, I think… All I can hope for is better. I know I can’t make things perfect for him, but I’ve got to at least try.”

And Gwen thought, just for a moment, about her own family. She thought about her childhood, growing up in a small apartment in New York City with her parents and sister. About all the little lies they had told to each other, from Santa to where she would be that weekend, things that seemed so irrelevant now, but she still remembered how they felt that moment.

When she said her goodbyes and stared at the screen of her phone, reading over the white letters that read “Call Ended”, she made a quiet comment to herself. 

_ I should call my parents. _

 

Max was unenthusiastic about switching to the same school David worked at, to say the least. He complained about it to no end, saying if there was any class he was going to skip, this would be the one.

“I’m sure it’ll be great, Max! I think you’re actually going to like it, the fifth grade class gets to pick an instrument to learn! There’s violin, bass, guitar, lots of things. It’s going to be great!” Max groaned in response, and David acted like he didn’t hear it.

Making friends was not nearly as difficult an issue as Max thought it was going to be. He was a naturally introverted kid, and had the habit of sometimes pushing people away with his abrasive nature. But when the first month of school ended, he had made two good friends.

The first was a mostly quiet boy with dusty blonde hair pushed back, and gray eyes that mainly looked at his feet. He didn’t talk much and spent most of his time reading, but when Max asked what he was reading, he bloomed.

“It’s a book about Babe Ruth! He’s the coolest sports player that ever existed! He hit over seven- _ hundred  _ home runs in his career, he’s awesome!” He smiled widely and stuttered a lot as he talked, but he was clearly passionate about it. “I love sports, especially baseball. But I also really like soccer. I’m on the soccer team! My name’s Grayson, by the way!”

Max laughed at the kid’s excitement, introducing himself.

The next kid was a friend Max remade from when he was younger, in a different foster home. She was about a year older than him, but had been held back and now was in the same year as Max. She was fairly tall for her age, with skin the shade of the terracotta in the river behind his old home. She had a long and soft looking braid of black hair, which she touched thoughtfully when she was nervous, which seemed to be often.

Max was simply walking around with Grayson when he spotted her, recognizing her quickly. She was sitting on a patch of grass near the swings, reading a book. 

“Acacia?” Max said, just loud enough to catch her attention. She looked over and immediately recognized Max, jumping to meet him.

“Max! It’s been so long!” She exclaimed excitedly, and Max smiled lightly. “Gosh, I was just thinking about you recently. How have things been? I haven’t heard you get in trouble yet, so that’s good.”

Max laughed and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.” He said, wondering if reconnecting was a good idea with Grayson around. But the kid smiled, and jumped into the conversation.

“You guys know each other?” He asked, looking happy.

Acacia looked at Max for a second, asking silently,  _ does he know? Should he know? _ To Acacia, her past was no secret and nothing to be ashamed of, but Max was different. He teetered on the edge, knowing that this was who he was, but wishing he could hide it all the same.

But he nodded, and Acacia spoke. “We were in the same foster home together for a while. We both got moved eventually, but we were pretty close for a while. Well, as close as Max gets to people.” Acacia smiled and put her arm around Max’s shoulder, ruffling his hair.

Max groaned, and Acacia just smiled. “Yeah, whatever.” He muttered, pulling away and trying to tame his hair. Grayson laughed at the pair, about to say something as his name was called from somewhere else. He looked over, saying “I’ll be back!” with an enthusiastic smile on his face, before sprinting off happily.

Acacia looked at Max, her smile now traded for a small frown. “Seriously, how have things been? I was worried when you got moved.” Max was surprised by her concern and change of attitude now that Grayson was gone, and he looked at the ground.

“It’s been fine. Pretty complicated. I bounced around once or twice after that, then ended up with this middle—aged couple, and they… They don’t —  _ didn’t _ — really care much.” 

“Didn’t?”

“Yeah. Like I said, it’s complicated. Basically, my old camp counselor found out and now I’m staying with him instead.” Max didn’t know how to explain it without telling the whole story, so he left out details. Acacia nodded, and Max looked up at her. “What about you?”

She smiled and touched her braid. “I got moved from that house a little after you did, and I ended up with this young couple who couldn’t have kids. They’re really great, and mentioned filling out adoption papers recently.”

Max felt curious, but looked away as he spoke. “If things have been so great, why were you worrying about me?”

Acacia looked at him sincerely, but he wasn’t looking to see it. She scanned him, and let out a soft laugh. “You were like a little brother to me. I hoped you were finding something good, too.”

 

Things began to get more complicated with CPS as September faded into October, blooming into the shades of autumn. Max’s old foster parents, after more than a month of silence, began to contact David. He had also gotten multiple calls relating to requirements for becoming a foster parent David had not yet fulfilled. Every time, it was the same answer from him. “Because of an emergency, I’ve been given time to do that while Max is under my care. You can ask Mr. Harborough about it, as he helped us work through the details.”

But soon, he received a call from an unknown number. David sat in the living room with his book face-down on his lap, staring at the call and debating if he should pick up. The last time this happened, one of his campers had run away from home.

“Hello?” He said, curious to see who the caller was.

A formal voice replied, a woman who had used her voice often in the past and was feeling the effects of it now. “Hello, is this David Blackwell?” She asked.

David leaned back on the couch. “Yes, who is this?”

“My name is Alice Rosenwald, I’m Max’s foster mother.” David felt disdain flare up in him quickly at those words. “I know you probably haven’t heard well of me, but I wanted to talk to you about Max. I really think this whole thing has been just a misunderstanding.”

David disagreed, but kept on a polite facade as he replied. “Okay,” he said simply. “If you’d like to talk about it now, I’m free.”

Alice let out a hearty laugh. “Oh, no! I hate talking about serious matters over the phone. Do you think you and Max could meet up with me and my husband for coffee sometime soon? To talk things out?”

David thought for a moment, biting his tongue to keep from saying anything irrational. “I’m not quite sure Max will want to come, but I’ll leave the decision with him. Otherwise, I’d love to talk to you guys!”

“Oh, can you not tell him? It’s just… I’m afraid he won’t come if he knows we’ll be there.”

David clenched his teeth together for a moment, eyebrows furrowing, and he was glad this woman couldn’t see his anger. “I understand. I’ll call you again after I check my schedule, okay?”

“Yes, thank you so much! I’ll talk to you then!”

And then with a click, the woman was gone, and David thought that he had never felt more angry in his life. He had never told such a bold faced lie to someone he just met, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to feel bad about it.

He put his phone and book on the coffee table, recently cleaned of its stains. New ones would gather, but for now, it stood proud and clean in the living room.

The apartment really hadn’t changed much since Max had come around. David had never been a very messy person, and always brought himself to clean before it got too dirty. Max didn’t add to that much at all, just adding extra dishes and a faster filling trash. He mainly kept to himself in his room, playing on his DS quietly or reading.

Although David wondered what Max’s foster homes was like, he never asked. All he did was hope that what he was able to give was better.

He knocked on the door to Max’s room lightly. “Yeah?” The kid asked from inside.

“Can I come in?”

“Yep.” At that, David let himself in, seeing Max sitting on his bed with his DS in hand. He looked at David, curious of what he needed.

“Your old foster parents called.” David said, leaning against the wall. He noticed Max’s eyes widen, a small and sharp intake of breath. “They said they want to talk with us. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” David offered a smile, not expecting it to be returned but trying offer some sort of comfort.

Max looked down, thinking for a second. “What else?”

“They said it’s just a misunderstanding.” David offered.

“And?” 

David let out a small sigh. “They told me not to tell you.”

With that, Max huffed and clenched his fists. “I knew it,” he muttered. “They do this kind of shit  _ all the time. _ ” 

David moved to sit on the edge of the bed, looking as Max quietly fumed. “You don’t have to go. I should, but I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to.”

Max was silent for a long moment, just thinking. This question was phrased differently than it was usually, and it gave more freedom for answer and made him feel confused. “I… I’d rather stay here.” He said, sounding almost dejected.

David moved closer to Max, and put an arm around the kid’s shoulders, trying to offer comfort. The kid didn’t react, but he liked the gesture. It was unfamiliar, but just like a lot of things in this house, it was not unwelcome.

“Okay, Max.” David said.

“Am I going to have to go back?” Max asked quietly, and David gripped the kid’s shoulder a bit tighter. The tall man knew he couldn’t keep any promises, and he hated that, so he simply told the truth.

“No. Not if I have any say in it.”

Max relaxed, and for one second, he threw away what he knew about the foster care system. He threw away every shitty home he had ever been in, and he put aside the memories of the promises people made and ever kept. For one second, he let himself believe everything that David said.

 

The coffee shop was quiet and relaxing, brown hues painted by the light that fell through the thin and papery shades. People talked quietly, sipping coffee and tea, or hot chocolate with absurd amounts of whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top. The sound of the cafe was peaceful, and David almost forgot why he was there. He wished he could be there under different circumstances, maybe alone to grade papers or together with Gwen and Max on a day to relax.

But he was there to meet up with strangers, ones who had somehow pushed Max to a point where he decided to risk running away from home. He had left Max with Gwen to come here and prove he could be a good guardian, prove he could at the very least be better.

He sat down in a booth, knowing that he had gotten there early. He had messaged Alice earlier, and she said that she and her husband would be there soon, so he ordered a tea and waited.

After a peaceful five minutes, the silence was broken. A woman approached the table, her husband following close behind. She was made of round features, with a round face and round eyes and a mouth that fell into the shape of an “O”. Her husband was different, made of corners and points with broad shoulders and a too-defined jawline. David felt out of place, like too-thin lines and misplaced curves.

“Excuse me,” The round woman said, touching her blonde curls, seemingly unaware of the pearly white streaks running through them. “Are you David Blackwell?”

“Yes!” He replied optimistically. “You’re Alice and Gregory Rosenwald, right? Please, sit down, I can tell we have a lot to talk about.” 

The pair thanked David while taking a seat across from him. “My friends call me Greg,” the man said, and David nodded.

“I'm so sorry you ended up getting pulled into this situation. I thought camp would be good for him, but after that he seemed so… distant, I suppose. He'd always been a bit of a trouble-maker — you know him — but it just seemed worse after the summer.” Alice rambled, a worried look on her rosy face.

“I've been trying to tell Alice it's just because he's upset school is starting again.” Greg said in return. 

David shrugged it off. “Oh, it's fine! I know Max, I know he acts out when he's upset or angry. I'm happy to look after him, really.” He explained quickly. What he most wanted out of this situation was to come to an agreement that Max could stay with him, because that's what he thought the kid needed. What he had heard of this couple just made him want to work for that even more.

“That's the thing,” Alice said, looking sincere. “We want him to come back.”

David nodded silently, prompting her to continue.

“You see, we had another kid before we became foster parents. He left the day he graduated, and he hasn't spoken to us since. We can't have kids anymore, so we decided to become foster parents. The problem is, ever since Max ran off, we aren't allowed to have anymore kids in our custody.”

_ Good, _ David thought.  _ Any parent who can make two different kids run away from them doesn't deserve another. _ He had stopped smiling and now just nodded thoughtfully as the two older adults in front of him spoke.

“We're sure this is just a misunderstanding.” Greg said. “Max needs a stable home. We tried to give him that, and clearly he just doesn't see that we care for him. You understand, don't you?”

_ From what I understand, Max knows enough about caring to know that you didn't, _ David thought, but he bit his tongue. “I think I understand what you're trying to say. Why didn't you talk to me about this sooner?”

Alice staggered for a moment, caught off guard by the question. “Well, we were busy with CPS. I'm sure you understand-”

“You say CPS won't let you have another kid in your custody since Max ran away, why did that have to happen to get you to look for him?” David hissed, beginning to realize how careless these people were. “Did you know we had a parent's day at camp? Did you know how upset Max was that no one showed up for him?”

Alice looked ready to speak, but held her tongue. Her husband spoke for her. 

“David, we understand you don't think highly of us, but I can assure you that whatever Max has told you about us has been exaggerated, you know how he doesn't trust adults very much. If we can just get Max back in our custody, we can prove that this was just him being irrational and impulsive.” Greg said.

David took a deep breath in, trying to compose himself. “I know that Max can sometimes be impulsive or irrational, but this is not your decision to make. It's not mine. Max's home should be something that he chooses, a place that he does not feel the need to run away from. Not even once. I'm going to talk to him about this, and if he feels that he wants to come back to you, I'll be in contact. Is that all we needed to talk about?”

It was quiet for a long moment, and David almost said his goodbyes when Alice spoke one more time.

“Why did you not bring Max?” She asked, glaring.

“I talked to him, and he said he didn't want to come.” David said. “I better get going, then. I'll be in contact, Alice. Gregory.” David nodded in their respective direction, then stood and walked out of the peaceful cafe, once again admiring the serenity it held.

 

“So, what's it like living with David? Probably not too great for you.” Gwen joked as she walked into her living room. It was a small but comfortable, with two low quality recliners and no couch. She held two glasses of water and passed one to Max, who sat in the red chair.

“It's... A lot better than I thought it would be.” He admitted. Gwen eyed him curiously as she picked up her PlayStation remote, flipping to Netflix as she sat down in a gray-green recliner. “He's not too strict about eating healthy, but he does make me go on a walk with him every other day. For exercise. But he mostly just lets me chill in my room.”

Gwen hummed, glad to see that Max was content. “That's good. It's good to see things are working out.”

Max nodded. “Definitely. It's a lot better than things were before. I just hope it can just... Not change for a while, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess that  _ is _ something you'd have to deal with a lot in a foster home. Fuck. I'm sorry.” Gwen said, not really thinking about what she was saying as she flipped through the categories on Netflix. Max watched, talking just as absentmindedly as her. 

“Sorry about what?”

“I don't know. That you had to be in those places. You don't deserve that, no matter how shitty you act sometimes.” She looked over with a playful gleam in her eye, and Max laughed. “What do you want to put on?”

“I dunno, I think I saw Doctor Strange on here a while back if you want to watch that? I'm cool with anything, really.” Max said. Gwen's apartment was a small thing, kept dark and comfortable in the late October light. Max looked around at the place, and thought of how barren it felt. This seemed a little out of character for Gwen. “How long have you lived here?”

“In the city? My whole life. This apartment I moved into just a little while ago. My roommate moved out after the summer and I couldn't afford the place, so I had to move.” Though Max felt bad about it, Gwen didn't seem moved, so he stayed quiet as she pressed play on the movie. “You think the conversation between David and your old foster parents'll go well?”

“I hope so.”

“You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”

Max shook his head. “It's fine. They were assholes. Not really negligent, but just… careless, I guess? They didn't really like having me around. They'd rather have me in some after school program, or just anywhere else than their house. It was like I was some trophy to make them look better 'cuz they're foster parents.”

Gwen was silent for a moment, thinking to herself. The sound of the movie played, people talking and music playing. “What made you realize you had enough?” She asked, quietly.

Max thought, but replied honestly. “It was like when you've been outside in the cold for a while and then you put your hand in warm water. The water's not even that warm, but you think your skin's gonna start melting because it was so cold, and you didn't even know it.”

Gwen didn't quite understand, but Max was satisfied, and that was good enough for her. She turned to get comfortable in her cushy recliner, letting the movie speak louder and take over the conversation. 

David knocked on the door almost as if on queue, with the credits rolling the second his knuckles hit the door. “I'm back! Sorry it took so long!” he said, sounding bright and optimistic as always, Gwen opened the door and let him in while Max stretched, having almost fallen asleep as the movie played.

“What took you so long, anyways?” Gwen asked, smiling kindly.

“I explored a bit, wanted to do something special for dinner tonight! I was thinking we'd go out some place, then go see a movie. What do you guys think?” He looked over at Max, whose tiredness faded at the idea.

“What movie?” 

David put a finger to his chin. “I was thinking either  _ Black Panther _ or  _ Coco _ , but I think I already know which one you'll want to see,” he laughed, and Max smiled in return.

“I think  _ Coco _ 's already out of theaters anyways.” Gwen said. “I've been wanting to see it, though. I just hope it gets on Netflix soon.”

“Me too.” Max added.

“Any ideas on what you guys want for dinner?” David asked.

Gwen hadn't realized David had planned on her coming with until this point, and she began to stumble over her words. “Wait, I- You don't have to take me with you guys if you don't want to.” She stuttered.

But David gave her a sincere look. “If you don't want to come, that's fine, but we’d be glad to have you come! Right, Max?”

“Yeah. God knows you need a day to relax.” The kid remarked, and Gwen couldn't tell if she should take it as Max doing something caring or teasing her. She sighed.

“Thanks. You're awesome.”

 

Dinner ended up being pizza at a diner near Gwen's apartment, with David insisting he'd be glad to get something nice while Max said this was nice enough. The diner was quiet and peaceful, people talking behind the counter as they got comfortable before rush hour.

“What are you guys planning on doing for Thanksgiving, by the way?” Gwen asked as they sat down. The menu had sandwiches and subs for the season, turkey and mashed potatoes on special for a side. 

David hummed. “I was thinking we'd go to my mom's house, since my sisters and a few of my other relatives will be there, but we haven't talked about it. What do you usually do for the holidays?” He asked Max, who shrugged.

“I usually just tagged along with whatever the adults in the house were doing.” He said, looking away. David didn't press, and simply continued his train of thought.

“Well, I could do something at the house for us, but if you want to you could come to the big family dinner we have at my house! Mom's food is the best, she's always in charge of the holiday stuff. But if that's too much, I'd be glad to make something at home.” David turned to Gwen. “You're invited too, if you don't have anything to do!” He smiled happily.

Truthfully, Gwen had picked up a shift at work that day. After her grandmother passed away, they stopped doing big celebrations for the holidays, and after her parents moved farther south, she started just staying home rather than taking the drive down. She thought about it, and was about to decline when Max spoke.

“I guess that sounds good. As long as no one talks about politics at the dinner table.” Max smiled mischievously, and David laughed. Gwen looked at the two, and after one more moment of thought, she spoke.

“If you don't mind me tagging along, I don't have anything planned.” She said, figuring she could trade her shift. David smiled brightly, his nose crinkling as he tried to contain his excitement.

“This is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever!” He said, a certain type of genuineness shining from his voice that neither Gwen nor Max had noticed before. They both rolled their eyes at him, happily standing up when their order was called.

 

Things returned to normal quickly, the conversation with Max's old foster parents almost forgotten after dinner and a movie. Max had, surprisingly, asked if  _ Coco _ was still up, but at finding out it was no longer in theaters, he jumped right back to wanting to see  _ Black Panther _ .

He left the theater full of enthusiasm, and asked if they could see  _ A Wrinkle In Time _ soon as well. David was overjoyed to see Max coming out of his shell, and happily agreed.

But as Thanksgiving approached, Max seemed to become more anxious. David knew this was probably because he was nervous about meeting so many new people, and did everything he could to assure the kid that they could do something else. But every time he said something about it, Max shook his head. “No, it's fine.” He would say, and drop the conversation there.

The drive from New York City to a small town in Maine, Old Orchard Beach, was a grueling five hours. Max and David took turns with the music, switching from indie and folk guitar to rap and hip hop. David, ever the optimist, tapped his fingers with the beat of Max's music, despite the fact he didn't like the music much at all.

Max was curious, but mentioned nothing about it.

The kid spent a lot of the drive on his phone, messaging Grayson and Acacia through Google Hangouts. Grayson was staying with his parents, Dad getting ready to make food tomorrow, while Acacia was going to meet her adoptive grandparents for the first time.

> _ there are so many people here. theyre the stereotypical italian family, there are a lot of them, and they're loud but dinner was so good. i cant imagine what tomorrows gonna be like _

Max laughed at the message and leaned back in his seat, wishing he could sleep through the long car ride.

Eventually, David mentioned they were ten minutes away, and the anxiety in Max flared up again. He simply sighed, hoping to breathe out the nervousness before they pulled over in front of the house.

It was big, probably three floors when you included the attic, and painted with a sweet blue color that complimented the sky and its autumn clouds. Red lights had been hung up on a small tree in the front yard, replacing the leaves that had all gone and died. The garden was full of plants were now withered, and David talked about how they always looked like they wouldn't come back during the winter but as soon as spring came they popped up like the morning glories did at sunrise.

David let himself in the front door, calling out. “Mom? We're home!” He yelled out happily.

The clattering of footsteps came from the stairs next to the front door, and Max saw the woman from David's pictures running downstairs happily. She had the same bright green eyes that David did, and crow's feet poked at the corners of her eyes. She hugged David tightly, talking quickly. “Oh, it's so good to see you! It's been so long, with you busy with camp and school and- Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!” She jumped away from David quickly, running over to crouch in front of Max. “You're Max, right?” She asked kindly.

“Who else?” Max said on instinct, and immediately regretted it.

But the woman just smiled and laughed. “Of course. I’m Robin!” She spoke with the same chipperness that David always had, and unfortunately for Max, it was contagious. He smiled lightly, and Robin stood up to look at David. “Turns out the party isn’t going to be so big this year. A lot of people decided to go over to aunt Mary Ann's new fancy house in Nantucket.” She joked bitterly, and David laughed.

“Well, they don’t know what they’re missing out on. Who’s gonna be here tomorrow?” He asked. Max didn’t have anything to add to the conversation, so he simply listened as the adults chatted, walking into the kitchen.

“Taylor, of course, and Amelia said she’ll be able to make it this year! Aunt Carol, uncle Bruce, and Emily and Jay are coming too. Emily is David’s cousin, by the way, and Jay is her boyfriend. This is the first time we’re meeting him!” Robin spoke to Max as she reached into her cabinets. 

“How’s Emily’s baby?” David asked.

“Not here yet, and you know that! His due date is Christmas, but they’re really hoping he comes a bit before or after that. Otherwise, they’re all doing great!” She had pulled out a few things from the cabinets mindlessly, a few bags of chips and boxes of cookies. “Now, you guys are probably hungry after the long drive here, help yourself out to anything. There’s more in the fridge, so feel free to rummage around!”

David smiled politely. “Actually, we got lunch on the way-”

“Don’t give me that nonsense! I can hear your stomachs growling from here!” Robin jokingly scolded. “I’ll show you to the guest room when you’re ready. Oh, and the attic bedroom is open if you want a bit more privacy.” She said to Max, then interrupted herself. “Oh my gosh, I completely forgot, you said Gwen was coming too, right?”

“Yep!” David replied.

“I am so sorry, when will she be here? Did she get a ride with you?”

“No, she’s driving up here tomorrow. Don’t worry about it!” David assured. Max was snacking on a bag of chips he had taken from the counter, just watching the two happy people talk back and forth, nodding along when he was spoken to. Eventually, David and his mother finished talking, and Robin approached Max.

“Do you want to take the attic or the guest room?”

Max thought for a moment. “The attic sounds cool. Thanks.”

 

The attic was warm and comfortable, the traces of past summer still lingering in the air. Robin fretted about how Max would be up there, exclaiming, “No one’s used this room in a while, if you need me to dust some things off just ask! I can bring up more blankets if you want!” Max refused, saying he was just fine with what he had.

He looked around the room, and liked how comfortable it felt. The decorations of the room were sparse, but the few there were old looking. Max noticed the stars pasted onto the ceiling and recognized them from commercials on T.V., glow in the dark bits of plastic you could put on your wall.  _ “Get two for the price of one with this limited time offer!” _ Max remembered the commercial saying, and though he thought it was strange for him to remember such a minuscule detail, he treasured it.

“This used to be my bedroom, growing up.” Robin said fondly, looking at the stars on the ceiling. “I would spend so much time just reading up here when I was your age.”

Max thought about this for a moment as he sat down on the bed, small with soft blankets. It made sense, with the desk by the window and its shelves full of books, copies of old books like  _ I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings  _ and  _ The Thorn Birds _ . He thought about how old this house must be, and how long Robin must have known this as her home.

“Anyways, I’ll call you down when dinner’s ready. Make yourself at home, Max.” The streaks of silver in her hair flashed in the attic’s sunlight as she turned to look at the kid with a genuine smile, then walked back down the creaking attic stairs.

 

After eating dinner and saying goodnight, Max picked up  _ Watership Down _ . It was far past his reading level, and he struggled to understand some of it, but began to enjoy himself as he sat in the quiet attic. The room retained its summertime tone as the night faded in, and just like the summer, he found it was easy to fall asleep.

When he woke up, he went downstairs to see Gwen had already arrived. Robin talked to her happily, and stopped talking in the middle of her sentence to say good morning to Max.

“Morning. When did you get here?” He asked Gwen, who looked too tired to deal with someone as optimistic as Robin.

“Not even ten minutes ago,” She sighed. “I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get a head start and get here early.” She sounded as tired as she looked, and Max laughed a small bit. Gwen glared at him with a smile on her face. “Are you laughing at my misery, you little punk?”

“Yes. Absolutely.” Max said, and Gwen laughed.

“Should I make a coffee for you, hon?” Robin asked, smiling at watching the pair. 

“That would be amazing, thank you so much.” Max looked at the woman, her shoulders slouched back as she stood tall and without tension. It was uncharacteristically relaxed for her, and it was a nice change of pace for both Max and Gwen.

“Can I have coffee too?” Max asked, and Robin looked at him curiously.

“You drink coffee? Does David let you?”

Max shrugged. “Sometimes. Mostly when he doesn’t know.” Robin laughed heartily as she turned to the coffee machine.

“Sure, then. You two can put something on the T.V. if you want, I’ll bring this in with milk and sugar when it’s done.”

“Don’t need it.” Both Max and Gwen said at the same time. Robin turned to see if they were joking, but both had straight faces.

“You’re both crazy, you know that?”

 

Taylor was the first person to get to the house, and she really did have a striking similarity to Gwen. Her hair had grown longer since the picture in David’s house had been taken, and now she kept the russet colored locks in a short ponytail. It was almost like someone had tried to paint Max’s ex-camp counselor with a different color palette and a bigger smile.

She came in with David, who had gone out to get emergency groceries for the meal later. She wore a turquoise long sleeve shirt with the phrase “That’s a horrible idea. What time?” written in white letters, and a gray cardigan and skirt on top.

She had heard about Max as well, but didn’t greet him nearly as enthusiastically as Robin had at first. “Hey, we got a new ‘lil goose!” She said with a laugh in her voice. Max looked at her, confused. “We used to call David that. Me and his other sister used to be way taller than him, so we used to tease him a lot. I’m Taylor, by the way.”

“I am  _ nothing _ like David. Don’t even joke about that.” Max rolled his eyes, and Taylor chuckled softly. 

“Welcome to the family, kid.” She spoke so simply, like she could say it and it became fact. Maybe it did.

Aunt Carol and uncle Bruce were the next to come, and they were clearly Robin’s aunt and uncle instead of David’s. Carol had hair that had gone completely white and a pair of dark sunglasses on, while Bruce had a beer belly and had gone so bald that Max thought he was one foot in the grave and beginning to decay. 

They talked like Statler and Waldorf from The Muppets. “You’ll get along well with them,” Gwen leaned over and whispered to Max.

“I told you about Max, right? He’ll be here with us for Thanksgiving tonight!” Robin said, yelling in order to get them to hear. 

“Oh, yes! It’s always good to have bouncing baby boy at the dinner table.” Bruce said sarcastically.

“I don’t know about bouncing, we should test it out.” Carol remarked, and the pair started laughing. Max and Gwen joined in, while the rest who heard tried to look offended.

“Actually,” Max began, smiling. “I’m ten”

“A baby to us ancients over here!” Carol cackled as she made her way to the dining room with her husband.

Emily came in after them, and looked like a puzzle piece in its place in David’s family. She had a lot of red hair with olive skin and freckles in a belt above her nose, and rested her hands on her stomach often and called everyone ‘honey’. Her boyfriend, Jay, was a shorter man with loose dark brown curls that turned into a beard. His muddy eyes were behind a pair of John Lennon glasses, and he looked nervous to be in the house.

Robin welcomed them in with open arms. She happily introduced Jay to everyone in the family, inconspicuously skimming over Carol and Bruce. David, who had finally found a moment away from helping cook, was thrilled to see Emily and Jay.

Max watched as the family caught up with each other. He wasn’t taking place in much of the conversation, just listening in and answering a question every once in a while, but that was the way he liked it. David and Robin cooked together with people popping in and out of the kitchen, smelling the food and chatting.

Taylor, Gwen, and Jay mainly stuck around Max, all being quiet people themselves. Jay was curious about Max’s situation, and having been a foster kid himself for a short while when he was younger, felt happy for the kid.

“Where’s Amelia?” Max asked Taylor after hearing that dinner was almost ready.

The woman laughed. “Don’t worry, she’ll be here. She always gets here on time, even just barely. I’m sure Mom is panicking about it and calling her like crazy.”

Max nodded, and as if on queue, Robin yelled into the living room with concern. “Has anyone heard from Amelia?” 

Gwen and Taylor laughed, and Jay spoke with a smile. “I’m sure she’ll be along shortly, Ms. Blackwell!” 

“If she’s not, I vote we eat without her.” Carol jeered.

“I second that!” Bruce said next to her.

Soon enough, Robin and David were calling for everyone to sit at the dinner table. Most of the table was taken up with plates and bowls full of food, and Max could pinpoint all of it; turkey and gravy with the salty smell of soy sauce to give it flavor, the buttery smell of mashed potatoes mixing with the kick of cranberry sauce, the sweet smell of homemade bread Max had never smelled before. It made him want to leap for food, though that also could have been because of the fact he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

Everyone sat down in pairs and small groups, Robin at the head of the table. Max and Gwen sat next to David, with Taylor on Gwen’s other side next to Robin, who was about to call for a toast before eating when the sound of a door cracking open sounded out, and footsteps adorned the halls.

“I’m home!” Amelia said as she entered the room. The whole room spoke at once, laughing at the dark haired woman’s timing.

“Fashionably late as usual, Amelia!”

“Where have you been?!”

“Right on time, honey.”

Amelia smiled brightly, an oddity in the family of redheads. She had the same rosy skin, but her dark curls and bright amber eyes set her apart. She sat at the end of the table across from her mother, who tried to look angry but was too happy to see her kid again to force it. 

“ _ Now _ we can eat.” Robin announced, raising her glass. Everyone began chattering again, asking who wanted what as they passed around plates. Max filled his plate with everything he could get his hands on, wanting to eat every sweet-smelling thing the family had made.

Amelia was a big topic at the dinner table, telling stories about her travels in the past year. She made a point to say she was exaggerating quite a bit, but it was just for effect. “It runs in the family. I call it  _ captivitory embellishment. _ ” She said, looking at David lightheartedly.

“And  _ I _ call it hyperbole.” David returned.

Everything about the way the family talked, with the exception of Carol and Bruce, was joyful and fun. Taylor’s gallows humor, David’s optimistic spin on everything, and Amelia’s grandiose stories of modern-day adventure added up to create something special.

“It was in the warm, barren deserts of Nevada, middle of the summer. The Jeep had just broken down on the side of the road, and the dog is in the back whining because of the heat. It was just a flat tire, but it was noon, and with the heat of the desert, I really didn’t want to change my tire, especially not to the donut that’ll only last for 50 miles. So I blast the AC, turn on the radio and sit in the back with Danny until another guy pulls up.

“He had this black, side-swept hair, like the goth kids back in high school had, and was wearing a t-shirt for a band I like,  _ Los Campesinos! _ He asks what’s up, I explain the car thing, and he asks if he can help. We’re in the middle of the desert, and the thought occurs to me, this might be dangerous. But I let him help anyway. He helps me change the tire, and says he can lead me to the nearest tire shop, so we go.

“We get there, the people at the shop are changing the tire, and we talked a bit. He pet Danny a bit while I asked about him, and he says he’s traveling too. ‘From where?’ I ask, and he says that he drove all the way from next to Guatemala. He had a U.S. citizenship since his parents traveled for business when he was a kid, and after going through college, decided to drive up and around a bit.

“We keep chatting together until it’s dark, and then — I know I exaggerate a lot, but this is true, I swear — it starts  _ snowing. _ It the middle of the desert! Of course, it didn’t stick with the hot sand still raging strong, but it was stunning.

“And this boy just smiles. Like he’s seen it a thousand times, just smiling. I ask why, and he says, ‘my family always believed that if it snows before the solstice, it’s going to be a good winter’.”

Taylor rolled her eyes at Amelia’s story. “You always  _ did _ fall for the romantics, didn’t you?”

The table laughed, and Amelia scoffed. “It’s nothing like that. We swapped numbers and chatted, but that’s it.” The woman turned to look between Max and Gwen. “But hey, he was right. More family always makes the seasons better.”

Gwen blushed at the gesture, and Max just laughed with embarrassment. “You’re gonna embarrass the new kids!” Emily said with a laugh, and at that, the whole table’s conversation started up again. Some people asked Amelia more about the mysterious boy who helped her, and others joined the main conversation at the table.

Eventually, Amelia stretched quietly and put a hand on her stomach. “Hey, when you’re done, do you want to go meet the dog? He’s big and a little scary looking, but he’s the sweetest.”

“Why not?” He replied, and Amelia smiled.

“Tell me when you’re done.” She said. Max, with a stomach full of food and head full of stories, excused himself from the table.

 

Danny was laying on a thick and fluffy red blanket downstairs, head on the ground as he moped. “He’s gotta stay downstairs while he’s here, most of the time. David’s scared of dogs.”

Max laughed to himself at hearing it, and Danny heard him. His head popped up, black ears pointing up as he looked at the two people approaching him. He looked like a fox with too much fur as he stood up, shaking his red fur and padding over to sniff at Max.

“Don’t worry, he’s a sweetheart.” Amelia was proven right as the dog practically smiled and lifted Max’s hand onto his head. The kid ruffled Danny’s fur and laughed.

Amelia walked over to the door that led to Robin’s small backyard, and smiled at what she saw. “Well, would you look at that!” She exclaimed happily at opening the door.

Danny jumped up and ran to the door, whining and begging to be let out before slipping past Amelia’s leg. Max followed and looked out the door, watching Danny jump into the snowy air. The clouds above stirred peacefully, and snow carefully fell to the autumn ground. Some had already accumulated, and the dog turned over and rolled around like he was trying to make a snow angel.

Amelia walked out and turned towards the window above, calling for everyone to come outside. Max gathered the snow in his hands, waiting for David to come out. The moment he made his way out the door, he was hit with a snowball square on the nose and faltered backwards.

“Yeah! Nice one, kid!” Amelia whooped while Max laughed mischievously. Taylor jumped over David, who was laughing on the ground, and leapt to create a snowball of her own.

There wasn’t even an inch of snow on the ground, but people still managed to make a full on snowball fight. They took snow from the thin sheet on the ground, and when it became too spotty to take much more, they borrowed it from the thinly covered branches of bushes and shrubs. 

When their fingertips became so cold they couldn’t feel them, they moved back inside, greeted with hot chocolate and a fretting Robin. “You’re all going to catch colds, and it’s not even winter yet! Your fingers are turning blue, I’ll get you all blankets.”

Robin rushed off, while Max stayed next to a window, watching the snowfall slowly to the ground. David was next to him, holding his cup of hot chocolate tightly to warm his hands. He spoke, sounding content in his quietness.

“It’s going to be a good winter.”

 

You can’t avoid the truth. Max knew this, and knew it well. He had felt it, a nagging presence in his chest that made him lash out when he felt threatened. It was something cold and destructive, something that reminded him of himself, almost.

Eventually, you’ll turn a corner and it’ll be there, waiting. Whether it’s something you’ve always known deep down but never admitted, or it’s something you never even thought could have been true. Somewhere, somehow, it will find you. And somehow, you will still pull yourself off the ground and find some peace.


End file.
